Magnus: Oh, come on, Prime. You haven’t changed one bit since you ran away. Don’t you play dumb with me. You know just why I’m here.

Optimus: Incredible. After all those eons you’re still holding on to that old anger.

Magnus: Well I guess you could say that I’ve come to get rid of that anger.

Optimus: Come on, Magnus. It’s time to put the past behind us. …Huh?

Magnus: I didn’t come all this way for some joyous reunion. I came here to correct a little mistake.

Optimus: I don’t understand. What is it you hope to accomplish?

Magnus: I think you know, but let me jog your memory. When the Autobots were sent to stop Megatron, the Matrix chose you as its inheritor, chose your being to enpower with its energy, chose you to command the Autobots. As Cybertron’s most powerful warrior, I should’ve been given that honour. And so all my work wound up accomplishing nothing. I got nothing. Nothing, for all my sacrifice. But you got the Matrix and I’ve come to reclaim what is rightfully mine.

Optimus: Transform!

Magnus: You’re not going anywhere. Go ahead, spin your wheels!

Optimus: You’re making a mistake!

Magnus: Maybe so. I thought you were a lot faster.

Optimus: I’m not going to fight you, Magnus! No matter what you do.

Magnus: Hey, you’ll fight or face doom. Either way, the Matrix is destined to be mine.

Optimus: Forget it, and I still won’t return fire, no matter how many threats you launch at me!

Magnus: I’m launching much more than threats.

Koji: I just can’t believe it! Optimus is in trouble. Why won’t he fight back?

Sideburn: What’s happening to Optimus, Koji?

Koji: He needs our help right now. We can’t wait another minute.

Prowl: I agree with Koji. Rescue protocol!

T-AI: Don’t linger on the battle field, just get in and get out!

X-Brawn: Don’t worry, T-AI. We’ll be back before you could reboot.

Sideburn: I’m going to hit him so hard he’ll have to open his trunk to find his headlights. See ya later.

Prowl: Let’s go!

T-AI: Remember, your main mission is to return Prime to headquarters as soon as possible!

X-Brawn: Gotcha!

[Transition]

X-Brawn: Any of you fellas have a take on what’s eating Optimus? ‘Cause I got this crazy little hunch that those two hombres know each other from somewhere.

Sideburn: Maybe so, but I’ve never seen him that weak before in my life.

Prowl: Well, that opponent wasn’t exactly a 98 cyber-pound weakling. He had firepower!

Sideburn: Yeah, that guy lit up like a lightning storm. But still, I’m sure Optimus could take him.

Prowl: If any of us could, Prime could.

X-Brawn: He’s the best fighter among us. He’s usually got a good reason for things he does. Maybe he can fill us in when he gets back. Let’s go get him.

[Transition]

Optimus: Magnus, we have to talk!

Magnus: No Prime, I don’t think we do. Buh-bye. Watch your step!

Optimus: Optimus Prime, transform!

Magnus (thinking): As stubborn as ever. He’s only delaying the inevitable. Within mere cycles, I’ll be taking the Matrix back to Cybertron as its rightful owner.

[Transition]

Movor: Extra, Extra! Optimus Prime found crushed at the bottom of a canyon at the hands of a brilliant bot named Ultra Magnus! Does Prime still shine? Read on! Megatron, I’m telling you, this guy Ultra Magnus has that Autobot’s number. He put him out flatter than a pizza crust.

Megatron: Yes, I saw it all. Brilliant, but it begs one question. If Optimus Prime could be defeated so quickly and easily, why haven’t my troops come close?

Scourge: Sir, let me explain. We have come close, but then Movor goes and shoots the wrong target or Armorhide can’t fly that day.

Megatron: I don’t want to hear your excuses!

Scourge: Yessir.

Megatron: I think it’s rather strange that Optimus won’t fight. I wonder if Ultra Magnus means anything to that Autobot. Perhaps he knows something about Prime that we haven’t discovered.

Scourge: Sir, if you allow us to step in, we might be able to —

Mega-Octane: — We could interrogate Optimus Prime and find out exactly what it is he’s hiding!

Megatron: Not yet. Let’s just watch these two fight it out for now. That way Optimus gets destroyed and one of you idiots learns something.

Mega-Octane: Yessir!

Megatron: I don’t suppose either of you know where Sky-Byte is.

Scourge: Well, uhhh…

Mega-Octane: No!

Megatron: I presume he’s not still out there looking for the O-Parts.

[Transition]

Sky-Byte: Cans, light sockets, wires, bug spray, antennas, golf shoes, fish heads, toy cars. Ah, so close and yet, so far. That’s about it, I guess. Fruitless search for the O-Parts, nothing but a foul catalogue of human life. Another day, another dump. (Starts to sing) Where are the O-Parts, where can they be? La, la, la, la… La, la, la… This can’t be good.

Magnus: Haha!

Sky-Byte: Huh?! Who could have possibly defeated Optimus Prime?

Magnus: Give me the Matrix now and I’ll spare you my total wrath.

Sky-Byte: Who is that?!

Magnus: You know, it’s a shame you’ve gotten so soft at your old age. On your feet!

Optimus: We fought side by side. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?

Magnus: No.

Optimus: Magnus, you’re a loyal Autobot and you were honoured after the civil wars!

Magnus: Yeah, I got a medal, but no honour. You know why? Because Vector Sigma passed me over. Stand up and fight!

Optimus: You were a great Autobot once. What happened to you?

Magnus: I’m not very good at ancient history, Prime. I’ll ask you one more time. Do you want to fight me, or surrender like the coward you are?

[Commercial]

Magnus: Here’s the deal, Prime. You have one cycle to surrender the Matrix or surrender your spark. Think it over, Optimus.

Optimus: Wait!

Magnus: Next time I see you, be prepared to hand over the Matrix.

Optimus: Magnus, where’s your sense of loyalty?!

Magnus: I left it back on Cybertron. Where’s yours? Ha, ha, ha. Ultra Kick!

Sky-Byte: Now let’s see if I can follow them… Come on. Make it, make it. Bullseye.

Optimus: Good work, I needed your help.

Magnus: I’m not through with you yet, Prime!

Sky-Byte: He’s gone! If anyone can defeat the Autobots, this one can.

Magnus: He can’t run forever.

[Transition]

Sky-Byte: Wait till I tell Megatron. Aaah, let’s see now… Where’s Prime? Ah… The signal is perfect. This time, Prime, there’s no escaping me. I know you’ve been weakened and I know exactly where you’re going. And I can just see the smile on old Megatron’s face when he discovers that I alone have conquered Optimus Prime! Oh, what great rapture! A big fin’s up for me! Who’s the shark now, baby?! Oh no, my sweet signal! No, please don’t leave, no! Come back! Come back please, little dot! Please don’t go away now… That little red dot meant so, so much to my promising career. I’m just chum. Optimus! Optimus Prime! I’ll find you! I’ll find you! I swear! You’re mine! I’ll get you! You’re mine! I’m… much better now.

Movor: That’s weird. Looks to me like that shark actually knows where he’s going for a change.

Magnus: Now where did that loser Autobot go? Let’s see… Aha! I have a hunch that flying Preda-fish knows. Ultra Magnus, transform! It’s a small planet, how far could he go? I’ll find him, and next time I won’t show him any mercy.

[Transition]

Sky-Byte: Ten thousand kilometers of ocean, they’d better be on this island coming up or Megatron will turn me into shark fin soup. Oh please tell me that they’re there! I’m getting images again from my memory banks! Okay. Here goes nothing. No! It’s just an old slideshow of an encounter of the Build Team on one of their ludicrous construction sites. I’m just doomed to failure. I’ll never find him. Muhahahaha! The trace is back! Optimus Prime is right on this island! I’m a genius! Here I come!

Optimus: At least if they find me here there aren’t any people in danger. My defense systems are so low right now.

Sideburn: Don’t worry about it, Prime. You know we got your back.

Optimus: That’s reassuring, Sideburn. Ultra Magnus is an awesome force to be reckoned with and I’ll need to regain all the strength I can before he returns.

Optimus: Thanks, Sideburn. Maybe after this quick hydrolics transfusion that oil bath is just what the mechanic ordered.

Sideburn: Uh, Optimus, I still don’t get why you didn’t want to fight back against that new creep from Cybertron. I mean, ordinarily you’d never take that. But this guy kicks you around like a ragdoll and you treat him like… like a brother. I guess if Prowl was doing the same thing to me, I’d do the same thing.

Optimus: Very perceptive. You see, it just so happens Ultra Magnus really is my brother.

Sideburn: What?! Prime, you’re kidding me!

Optimus: We were created at precisely the same time on Cybertron by an Autobot elder named Alpha Trion. We were raised together. I guess we’re not so alike anymore, are we?

Sideburn: But then… If you two were so close then… why on Earth did he even attack you like that? Really, I mean what did you ever do to deserve an attack like that in the first place?

Optimus: The All Spark, Vector Sigma, was to chose the next commander in chief of Cybertron. Although both of us had won fame during the civil wars, I was chosen as leader and so the Matrix was given to me. Ultra Magnus left the planet that same day and I thought I had lost contact with him forever. He’s grown a little bitter over the years.

Sideburn: Bitter? Bitter is not sending you postcards, but this whacko… He knocked you off a cliff!

Optimus: We’ve been pretty competitive for as long as I can remember.

Sideburn: You are, but instead of better test scores, you guys have the Matrix and Blaze Blasters and stuff like that. Hey, sounds like a lot more fun now! Hahaha! Hey Optimus… Is everything okay over there?

Optimus: Something just doesn’t compute.

Sideburn: Can I help?

Optimus: The best thing right now might be a little time alone. I just need to think through all this. Check back in an hour, all right?

Sideburn: You got it, Prime. Just remember, whatever you won on Cybertron, you deserved. Sideburn, transform! Man, I hope my brothers never go mental like Ultra Magnus did.

Sky-Byte: Now to plug the portal so no one can come back. No… More… Autobots!

[Transition]

Sky-Byte: It was a tough job, but I’ve done it. I block caded the Autobot’s access to this entire island. Now there’s no way to come and rescue poor Optimus. This leaves me the simple task of eradicating Prime when he’s weak. Then Megatron will lavish his praise on me! …And I will become his right claw man! …Huh? How bizarre. For a second I thought it was… Eeeegghh!

Megatron: Prepare your arsenals, gentlemen. For today they shall destroy the leader of the Autobots.

Decepticons: Yessir!

Scourge: Optimus, you’re mine!

Mega-Octane: Mine too!

Sky-Byte: No! Who told you to come here?! This can’t be! This was supposed to be my victory, not those Decepticons. I have to do something.

Optimus: The alarm! I’m still too weak to go.

Megatron: Good afternoon, Optimus. We’ve just dropped by the celebrate your demise.

Scourge: Scourge, transform! Decepticons, transform!

Mega-Octane: Now, team!

Commandos: ‘Sir!

Megatron: Prepare for battle, Optimus, because I have the pleasure of telling you it’ll be your last stand on Earth!